Visible Worlds

Visible Worlds (HarperCollins), by Marilyn Bowering, starts out in Winnipeg, which probably has a lot in common with Windsor. But the story is too out of this world to be contained there. The characters and events explore the irregular: biological warfare and genetic mutations, the cult of magnetism, Siberian labour camps, solitary treks over the tundra and a psychic link with meteors all affect the lives of three families. The world Bowering evokes is full of tragedy and wonder. As with books by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (or Iris Murdoch or Timothy Findley, for that matter), the reader has to let go of the stringent boundaries of logic and allow herself to be carried away. I'd read Visible Worlds and The Seeds of Treason when I'm in a homey, ordinary place like Windsor, but when I'm somewhere like the Himalayas and I want to evoke home, Larry's Party would do it for me.